Lean On Me
by MarieTheManiac
Summary: Sometimes, the best solution for a fight between siblings...is to hold your best friend and not let go. ***OC's, fluff! This is for you, Jordi! Happy B - Day! I love you, best friend!***


_This is the brithday present for my best friend in the whole world, harry - ron - hermione - fan - 101. I hope you like it and that your birthday is as awesome as you are! Love you so much, Jordi 3_

**Lean On Me**

Marie sniffled quietly. Tears were running down her burning cheeks.

She absently watched the sewer rats rushing by, fighting for food.

Her head was pounding from all the crying. Marie had cried a lot lately.

It was because of her sister.

Marie and her six years older sister Lisa had never had a good relationship. Marie just wasn't the little sister Lisa wanted. She was different.

Abnormal.

A Freak.

At least that's what her sister tells her very often.

More tears came rushing out of the fourteen year old teenager's eyes.

Suddenly, she looked up. She could sense a presence.

And was right.

Her best friend Michelle was standing next to her, face filled with warmth and care.

"Who told you?"

Marie's voice was hoarse from the whimpering. Michelle dropped down beside her.

"Donny.", she said quietly, knowing the terrible headache her slightly older best friend was suffering from. "And I somehow knew where to find you."

Marie chuckled softly. "You always do."

Michelle smiled and put an arm around Marie's shoulders. The sensitive girl gladly leaned into the one armed hug, resting her head on Michelle's shoulder. She knew Donny wouldn't keep quiet.

He never did when he knew something serious was going on.

Michelle ran her hand up and down her best friend's arm.

She was glad they could trust Donny so much.

* * *

_*Flashback*_

_Michelle happily hummed the melody of 'Pain' by ThreeDaysGrace, when she heard a familiar ringtone._

_^Take my hand tonight_

_We came all so far_

_We could change the world_

_Do anything we want^_

_She pressed the 'speak' button. "Hey there, genius! What's up?"_

_°Hey, Michelle!° Donny's voice didn't sound as cheerful as usual. °Sorry if I'm bothering you -!° "Donny, quit worrying about that. You know you can't bother Marie and me."_

_Michelle chuckled slightly. That was so like Donny!_

_°Well, anyway, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. It's Marie.°_

_Michelle frowned. She knew something was going on with her best friend. When they had seen each other the day before, Marie had seemed very distracted. Depressed. But when Michelle asked her what's wrong, Marie would smile a fake smile and tell her that everything was okay._

_She and Donny were the same at that point: __They hated to worry people dear to them._

"_Did she tell you what's going on?"_

_°Well, no. I've been on my way to the junkyard when I found her. In the sewers. Crying.°_

_The alarm bells, which had been ringing in Michelle's head for a few days, were now a competition to the Notre Dame._

"_Where exactly?" °The same place Leo had found me when I had had that high fever.°_

_Michelle remembered that place. She just hoped she would find it again._

"_Alright, I'll go search for her. Thanks for the call, Donny!" °Don't mention it - don't worry, Mike, I won't forget! - Mikey wants me to remind you about the movie night at our place. Could you guys bring pizza - no, I'm not gonna ask her for that movie! …I don't care if Casey had watched i -! Wait, Casey had let you watch that movie!°_

_A few muffled voiced were heard and the oh so familiar 'Ow!' as Michelangelo was smacked on the back of his head by Raphael. Michelle couldn't hold back a chuckle._

"_We'll get the pizza. I'm off now!" °Thanks, Michelle. Good luck with Marie!°_

_Michelle chuckled again. "Luck won't be necessary."_

_*Flashback End*_

* * *

"Why doesn't she accept me?"

Michelle glanced at Marie. Her tears had kept falling.

"I'm not forcing her to love me. I couldn't. But…can't she at least accept me the way I am?"

*So that's what's bothering her.*, Michelle thought, anger boiling up within her chest, *Her sister again.*

"Another fight?" Michelle's voice was quiet and soothing. Marie clamped her eyes shut.

"This time…this time, it was worse."

Worse than usual? Michelle knew that couldn't be good.

"Sh…she told me to get lost. That there's nobody who thinks I'm normal. I'll always be alone, because of my abnormality." Marie's whimpers got louder. "I know that isn't true! I know it, but…it hurts! Hearing that from…from..!" "Sshh, I know."

Michelle pulled her hurting best friend closer, resting her own head against hers. The two of them had sat like that for many times. Always because of the same reason.

Marie's big sister Lisa.

Since Marie could think back, almost every day of her life contained Lisa mocking, humiliating, hurting her. And when Marie got older, it would get even worse, because of the 'strange' interests she had. Marie always loved reading and writing, and when she became a teenager she'd rather stay at home and write stories all day long than going out with friends. English stories. And for Marie being an Austrian fourteen year old, that hobby _was_ pretty strange. But everybody accepted it, was proud of her for it, for everything 'strange' she did or liked.

Everyone but Lisa.

There were good times too, but…they were so rare, Marie didn't bother to think about them. Michelle hated Lisa for it. She never understood how someone could threat their little sister like this.

"Does the saying 'Go suck a lemon' hold any meaning for her?" Marie chuckled weakly.

"Hmm…how 'bout 'Go suck a lemon and choke on it?'" Marie chuckled again.

"Stop it.", she whispered. "Why? Seems to help."

Michelle smirked, softly rubbing her best friend's arm.

"I know getting threatened like this by her is hard. But there's good times too, isn't there?"

Marie sniffled and nodded.

"And it's not like you'd be all alone with her. There's your parents, your grandparents, your oldest sister, your nephew; They're always there."

Marie nodded again. Michelle wrapped both her arms around Marie. "And I'm there too. You know, no matter what, you can always lean on me."

Marie nodded and buried herself into Michelle's embrace, soft sobs escaping her throat.

"Thanks, Michelle."

Michelle smiled, rubbing Marie's back.

"Don't mention it. Love ya, bestie."

Marie snuggled closer, happy not to be alone anymore.

"Love you too."

The two girls sat like that for some more moments. Michelle grabbed her cell and dialed Don's number.

"Hello? Donny? Could you grab the SewerSlider and pick Marie and me up? Thanks, bud. …no, Mike, we won't forget about the pizza. See ya later!"

She hung up and let her best friend rest her head against her shoulder.

"Still up for the movie night at the guys'?" Marie was almost asleep, exhausted from all the crying and her sleepless nights, which she had also spent crying. "Uh huh…just…a little…nap?"

Michelle smiled, stroking over her best friend's hair.

"'course ya can take a nap. We've got plenty of time."

Marie yawned.

"Okay."

With that, the exhausted teenager fell in a peaceful sleep, a small smile on her face.

*Michelle is the best friend you could ask for.*

**The End**


End file.
